Poland has announced that it will extend its temporary border control with Slovakia until November 2, as part of its efforts to prevent illegal migration through its territory. The interior minister, Mariusz Kaminski, said on Thursday that the extension was necessary to protect Poland’s security and sovereignty. He added that the border control had yielded “good results” and “clear effects”.
Poland introduced the border control on October 4, following the example of other European countries that have tightened their frontiers with Slovakia in recent weeks. Slovakia, which borders Hungary, has seen a sharp increase in the number of migrants entering its territory, mostly from the Middle East and Afghanistan. According to government data, nearly 40,000 migrants have arrived in Slovakia this year, compared to about 3,500 in 2020.
Slovakia also extended its border control with Hungary on Wednesday until November 3, saying that the situation was “serious and unpredictable”. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany are part of the European Union’s Schengen open-border zone, which allows free movement of people and goods across most of the continent.
However, the EU has been struggling to cope with a new wave of migration, driven by conflicts, poverty and climate change in various regions of the world. The bloc is also working on a new migration pact that will overhaul the rules for handling irregular arrivals and asylum seekers. The migration issue has sparked tensions and divisions among EU member states, some of which have adopted a hardline stance against accepting more migrants and refugees.
Poland, in particular, has been locked in a standoff with Belarus, which it accuses of orchestrating a “hybrid war” by pushing migrants across its border. Poland has deployed thousands of troops and built a barbed wire fence along its 418-kilometer (260-mile) border with Belarus.
The EU has imposed sanctions on Belarus and its authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who denies any involvement in the migration crisis. The Polish government has faced criticism from human rights groups and some EU officials for its treatment of migrants stranded at the border, who have been living in dire conditions without adequate food, water or medical care.
The UN refugee agency has urged Poland and other EU countries to respect the rights of migrants and refugees and provide them with access to asylum procedures. Despite the challenges and controversies, some EU leaders have expressed their solidarity and support for Poland and other countries affected by the migration surge. On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Warsaw and praised Poland for its “courageous” stance on the border issue. She also pledged to help Poland deal with the humanitarian situation and find a diplomatic solution with Belarus.
The EU has also offered financial and technical assistance to Poland and other countries to cope with the migration pressure and strengthen their border management. As winter approaches, many hope that the migration flow will ease, and that the EU will be able to find a common and humane response to one of the most complex and sensitive issues facing Europe today.
Source: [Reuters]
